WTN: 1999 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Brune et Blonde

[David M. Bueker]

1999 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Brune et Blonde - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie (4/30/2007)
Another disappointment from Guigal. This one just had no life on the palate. No obvious signs of TCA or any other damage, but I'm hoping for stealth cork, as there was zero fruit and just a flat, leathery, iron mess on the palate. NR (flawed)

Posted from CellarTracker

How disappointing, David. I've had 3 bottles over the past few years, and each one drank beautifully. I've been holding on to my last remaining 2 bottles, hoping to get some more complexity in a few years. I certainly hope that your bottle was simply off as opposed to the wine being dead.

David,

You say that this was "another" disappointment from Guigal. Have you had many others as well? I've not had this vintage but I've had a few of the 1996's and they are rather average. I also find that this gigondas to be disappointing but their older (like 90's) hermitages are GREAT!

This makes me a bit nervous on the unopened case of the 1999 Hermitage that I have resting from them though. What are your thoughts.

[David M. Bueker]

No thoughts on the '99 Hermitage, as I have not had it. I have a bunch of the '98 Hermitage, and I'm leery enough that I will pull a cork soon.

I've had several mid to late '90s Guigals (and a 2003) lately from various AOCs that have all left me cold.

Many thanks for the info! I'll pop one soon too to see whether they are worth aging or if they should have more pedestrian uses.

David,

You say that this was "another" disappointment from Guigal. Have you had many others as well? I've not had this vintage but I've had a few of the 1996's and they are rather average. I also find that this gigondas to be disappointing but their older (like 90's) hermitages are GREAT!

This makes me a bit nervous on the unopened case of the 1999 Hermitage that I have resting from them though. What are your thoughts.

Aside from the La-La single vineyard Cote-Roties (La Mouline, La Landonne, La Turque), I've had no other wine from Guigal that I'd call "great".

That being said, I've some excellent wine from Guigal, and nearly everything I'd rate as reliably good. More of a tendency toward international style than I'd like to see, perhaps, but good+ nonetheless.

-Paul W.

[David M. Bueker]

That being said, I've some excellent wine from Guigal, and nearly everything I'd rate as reliably good. More of a tendency toward international style than I'd like to see, perhaps, but good+ nonetheless.

-Paul W.

I guess I am expecting more, especially at the price point the negotiant bottlings are going for these days. Sure they are "good" wines (though this bottle was not), but for $40-$50 for the '99 Cote Rotie I want better than good. And I actually don't find the wines that New World/International. I find the La La wines to be very oaky, but other than that there's not that much New World about Guigal's wines (at least in current context - don't get me started on some other producers).

I guess I am expecting more, especially at the price point the negotiant bottlings are going for these days. Sure they are "good" wines (though this bottle was not), but for $40-$50 for the '99 Cote Rotie I want better than good.

So do I, which is why I've stopped buying them. Maybe someday we'll get a strong dollar again.

-Paul W.

[quote="Paul Winalski"
Aside from the La-La single vineyard Cote-Roties (La Mouline, La Landonne, La Turque), I've had no other wine from Guigal that I'd call "great".

That being said, I've some excellent wine from Guigal, and nearly everything I'd rate as reliably good. More of a tendency toward international style than I'd like to see, perhaps, but good+ nonetheless.

-Paul W.[/quote]

Paul,

Some of the regular Cote Roties from the 70s and 80s were pretty close to great. As you know, today many people make CR from fruit that they used to sell to Guigal (25 years ago)

Tom T.

David,

Aside from the La-La single vineyard Cote-Roties (La Mouline, La Landonne, La Turque), I've had no other wine from Guigal that I'd call "great".

That being said, I've some excellent wine from Guigal, and nearly everything I'd rate as reliably good. More of a tendency toward international style than I'd like to see, perhaps, but good+ nonetheless.

-Paul W.

I would have to say that both the '98 & '99 Ch. d'Ampuis are at least great, if not stunning.